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During the early 1800s, John
Markley purchased Barbadoes Island, where he cut down a number of trees in order to farm the land and build a home. Regular events held on the island during the summers prior to 1820 included horse races and parades by local militia units. Sometime between the early to
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mid-1800s, Philadelphia area entrepreneur Lewis
Schrack also opened a boat and fishing tackle business and erected "floating baths," a series of wood structures with stone floors with opens that allowed the river water to flow in and out.
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The PECO facility was most recently used for equipment storage, company training and as an electrical substation. On
February 16, 2009, Exelon demolished the old power plant.
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In 1880, Isaac McHorse planted a large wheat field on eighty acres of island land that he had leased. He imported a steam thresher by ferry in order to harvest his crop.
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The plant was originally coal-powered, then converted to diesel power in the 1970s. It was operated by the
Philadelphia Electric Company until 1997.
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from a wharf in
Norristown. In August 1849, a large gathering was held on the island to celebrate the end of a global cholera epidemic.
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The island continued to be used as a "pleasure park" by children and adults between 1910 and 1920, and was often accessed by
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and various localized rail lines cross over the eastern tip of the island. It is about 90 acres (36 ha) in size.
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The island was subsequently purchased in 1922 by
Counties Gas and Electric Company, which later merged with
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at one time. Wealthy planters from the
Caribbean isle sent their children to Philadelphia to be educated.
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acquired title to
Barbados Island. The name of Barbadoes Island may reflect a trade relationship between
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In 1961, PECO erected the largest gas turbine in the United States. Built by
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The private Haws Avenue bridge is the only road access to the island. (
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Barbadoes Island was part of the original land grants made to
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New Issue: $ 6,600,000: The
Counties Gas and Electric Company
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occupied the island in post-World War II era until recently.
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Port Indian Civic and
Boating Association Community Website
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Barbadoes Island a hot spot for recreation in early 1800s
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The southeast end of Barbadoes Island as seen from the
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356:3 Girls Drown: Their Boat Capsized in a Squall
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438:Landforms of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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147:West Norriton Township, Pennsylvania
175:crosses the island but has no exit)
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298:Westinghouse Electric Corporation
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196:Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
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443:River islands of Pennsylvania
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279:Philadelphia Electric Company
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221:University of Pennsylvania
30:Norristown High Speed Line
343:The Philadelphia Inquirer
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274:and other small boats.
188:West Norriton Township
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360:Republican and Herald
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96:90 acres (36 ha)
337:Kennedy, Joseph S. "
235:that was also under
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182:is an island in the
377:The Pittsburgh Post
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77:40.1135°N 75.3566°W
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393:"Barbadoes Island"
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411:Turbine Installed
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135:Montgomery County
82:40.1135; -75.3566
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153:Demographics
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233:West Indies
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56:Coordinates
427:Categories
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253:steamboats
192:Norristown
158:Population
68:75°21′24″W
65:40°06′49″N
41:Geography
229:Barbados
142:Township
46:Location
206:History
433:Exelon
289:, and
272:skiffs
173:US 202
130:County
118:State
287:coal
227:and
161:None
93:Area
291:oil
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
